Born in the town of Murom, Russia, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii was educated as a chemist and dedicated his life to the advancement of photography. He spent many years documenting the Russian Empire, and he was even outfitted with a railroad car-darkroom provided by Tsar Nicholas II. Along with this equipment, the Tsar also gave him access to certain restricted areas. After Prokudin-Gorskii died in 1944, his sons sold his collection of photographs, glass negatives, and sepia-tone prints to the Library of Congress in 1948. This site allows visitors to view these images, which include photographs of prominent religious structures, public works, industrial areas, and people in traditional dress. Visitors can also look over some of the thematic albums, which include his travels to Central Asia in 1911 and his journey along the Oka River south of Moscow in 1912.
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